200 Years Ago: HMS Nancy Destroyed

AUGUST 14TH, 1814:  The HMS Nancy is destroyed during an attack by the U.S. squadron under Captain Arthur Sinclair at the Nottawasaga River, Upper Canada.

One of the objectives of Sinclair's expedition to the upper Great Lakes was the destruction of British ships.  Unable to locate the British base on the Nottawasaga River, due to weather and unfamiliarity of the area, he burned the abandoned Fort St. Joseph and the fur trade post at St. Mary's River (Sault Ste. Marie).

After the failure to retake Fort Mackinac the expedition located the Nottawasaga bases and the schooner Nancy, the only British vessel on the upper Great Lakes.  An American landing party destroyed a blockhouse but the crew of the Nancy, commanded by Lt. Miller Worsley of the Royal Navy torched the vessel before it could be captured.

The Nancy's crew escaped to Fort Mackinac in open boats after the departure of Sinclair's squadron.

--Brock-Perry

American Assault on Fort Mackinac

AUGUST 4-5, 1814:  Fort Mackinac was commanded by Lt.-Col. Robert McDouall who had arrived that spring with reinforcements.  As part of American Arthur Sinclair's expedition that sailed from Detroit to recapture that post, Lt-Col. George Croghan commanded a force of 700 regulars and Ohio militia, almost twice the strength of the British force at Mackinac.

Once at the post the Americans could not bring their vessels' guns to bear on the fortification, located on a height of land and therefore landed their troops at the far side of the island to lure McDouall into open combat.

Unable to breech the strong British defensive position established by McDouall on the edge of a clearing, Croghan's botched attack suffered heavy casualties.

The Americans withdrew to Detroit, ending Sinclair's upper Great Lakes Expedition.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: Sinclair's Expedition

JULY 23-26, 1814:  CAPTAIN ARTHUR SINCLAIR'S RAID UP THE ST. MARY'S RIVER

The raid on St. Mary's River (Sault St. Marie), Upper Canada, was a part of the American expedition for mastery of the upper Great Lakes.

After burning the abandoned Fort St. Joseph, Captain Sinclair sent a flotilla of boats of boats loaded with sailors and infantry up the St. Mary's River where they torched the North West Company trading post and storehouses, vital assets in the British fur trading infrastructure.

They also destroyed the locks of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal built in 1798 by the company to allow freight canoes to bypass the falls.  Sinclair's men also captured and burned the company's schooner Perseverance, one of the few British vessels on the upper Great Lakes.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago:Sinclair's Expedition

JULY 23-26, 1814:  Captain Arthur Sinclair's raid up the St. Marey's River (Sault Ste. Marie), Upper Canada.

After burning the abandoned Fort St. Joseph, he sent a flotilla of boats with sailors and infantry up St. Mary's River.

They torched the North West Co. trading post and storehouses as well as the locks of the first Sault Ste. Marie canal (built in 1798 to allow freight cannons to bypass the falls).  They also captured and burned the company's schooner, the Perseverance, one of the few British vessels on the Upper Great Lakes.

--Brock-Perry

Sinclair's July-August Upper Great Lakes Campaign

Captain Arthur Sinclair was given orders to take the American Lake Erie Squadron on a campaign to retake the Upper Great Lakes during July-August 1814.    It was largely unsuccessful attempt.  The removal of British forces at Detroit caused the effort to be taken.

The only success for the Americans was the capture of three British merchant ships and the destruction of an abandoned fort at St. Joseph's Island and a raid on a trading post at St. Mary River.

Sinclair failed to recapture Fort Michillimackinaw.  Two schooners were lost on the return voyage.

--Brock-Perry